Never Left
by gypsywriter135
Summary: Takes place right after "Monster Rally." Nosedive is afraid... afraid of being left alone...


Okay, so here's my second attempt at a "Mighty Ducks" fic. I don't really like the way the first one came out, so I'm trying this one. Not my best work either, but it kinda works.

Anyways, I've finished watching the series and one of the episodes that stood out to me was "Monster Rally". It had a lot of brother moments in it and after watching it over and over, this idea started forming in my mind. So I got on my laptop and started writing and this is the result...

It takes place immediately after the episode.

Disclaimer: The "Mighty Ducks", in no way, shape, or form, belong to me.

**MDMDMDMDMD**

Nosedive was silent the entire ride back to the Pond. He sat in the back, not his normal position in the front, right next to his brother. He stared at the floor, every now and then shooting a glance at Wildwing, who had taken over driving the Migrator.

Even when the arrived back in the Ready Room, and they were all sitting down, he only said a few things, and he wasn't normally as cheerful as he usually was after defeating a bad guy. And he kept shooting glances at his brother. In fact, he hadn't left more than a few feet between them since Daddy O'Cool had been reverted back his normal self.

"Hey, boobalas!"

Six duck heads turned to the front door, where Phil breezed in, a brochure in one hand.

"What now, Phil?" Wildwing asked, annoyed.

"Wildwing! Just the duck I wanted to see!"

Wildwing rolled his eyes and looked at his brother, who gave him a small smile.

"So, there's this guy, right? And he's the owner of "Weiner World" and he wants _you_ guys to endorse his hot dogs!"

"Come on, Phil!" Duke exclaimed. "We just got back from saving the world!"

"Maybe later," Wildwing said, walking towards the kitchen.

"There's not going to _be_ a 'later'!" Phil cried. "It's now are never!"

"Then I guess that would be a never," Tanya said, chuckling.

Phil raced after the leader. "Wildwing! Boobala! Come on, it's just for a few days!"

Nosedive's head snapped up at that. He stood up and followed Phil at a distance, poking his head around the kitchen door, watching and listening.

"Phil, I said 'no'," Wildwing was saying, sitting at the table and drinking a glass of water.

"But he's gonna pay us the big dough!" Phil argued, waving the brochure in the mallard's face.

Wildwing grabbed the brochure and glanced at it. He sighed. "How long is endorsement going to take?"

"A few days at the most," Phil said.

Nosedive's eyes widened. A few days?

"It is not polite to listen to conversations that do not include you."

Nosedive jumped and held back the urge to scream. He looked behind him and saw Mallory and Grin standing there. Mallory had a smirk on her face and her arms were crossed in front of her chest. Grin was looking accusingly at him.

"Wait 'till I tell Wildwing about this…" Mallory chided.

"I don't care," Nosedive replied, shaking his head. He slumped forward and walked past the two stunned ducks. "He's going away for that hot dog endorsement thing anyways."

Mallory looked at Grin, who shrugged.

"What just happened?" she asked him.

Grin shook his head. "All is not right with our little friend."

Phil's happy cries brought their attention back to the kitchen, where Wildwing walked out, Phil following quickly, already on his phone.

"Hello? Mr. James? He'll be there on Friday!"

Duke looked up at his leader. "Did you just agree to that?" he asked him, pointed his thumb at Phil.

Wildwing nodded. "Yeah. But I told no more after that."

"Hey, uh… Wildwing?"

The white mallard turned to Mallory.

"Um… I think you might want to talk Nosedive…"

Wildwing looked a little worried. "Why? Is he okay? Where is he?"

"I don't know…" Mallory said quietly. "He was listening to you and Phil talk and then when he heard that you were leaving for a few days, he walked off."

"He has been pretty quiet since we defea- defea- got back…" Tanya interjected.

"And no one knows where he's at?" Wildwing asked.

The other ducks shook their heads. Wildwing nodded and took off out of the Ready Room.

"Where are you going?" Duke called after him.

"He's my brother!" Wildwing called back over his shoulder. "I know where he went!"

33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33

Nosedive sighed as the evening wind blew across him. He hugged his knees closer and put his chin on top of them. He watched as the sun set, making the sky look like something out of a painting.

Around the bright orb, it was a flaming orange, which gently turned into a pink color. As the pink faded away, a light purple overtook it, where it began to darken into a deep plumb color, making the stars come out of hiding. Behind him, it was the dark blue-black of night.

He shivered a little as the wind nipped at him. He should have grabbed a jacket.

"Pretty, huh?"

Nosedive whipped his head around and saw his brother leaning against the Duckcycle he had used to get here. Nosedive silently wondered how he didn't hear the engine approaching him. Still, he nodded.

Wildwing walked up and sat down next to him. "What's eaten ya', baby bro?"

Nosedive offered his brother a smile. "Nothing. Why, does something seem wrong?"

Wildwing didn't say anything, but stared straight ahead. When he looked away, he saw Nosedive watching him. The younger duck looked away quickly.

"Okay, bro," Wildwing sighed. "Spill it."

Nosedive lowered his head back to his knees and mumbled something.

"What?"

"I'm scared…"

Wildwing was caught off-guard. Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't that…

"I almost lost you today…" Nosedive whispered. He looked at Wildwing out of the corner of his eye.

Wildwing was confused. "Dive, what're you-"

"I couldn't hold onto the rope…" Nosedive interrupted him. "No matter how hard I tried. And when that rope slipped… and I couldn't grab it again… it all happened in slow motion. You were falling, and the duck that was going in to that glob wasn't going to be the same one who came out…"

Wildwing now understood. "But Grin caught me," he said.

"But what if he hadn't?"

"But he did. And th-"

Nosedive shook his head angrily. "No. They weren't going to come back; Mallory said so. Grin made her, and if he hadn't… if they had followed your orders…" Nosedive's voice cracked slightly. "… if they hadn't come back, then you wouldn't be here…" he choked back a sob. "… and I wouldn't have a brother anymore…"

"Dive…"

Wildwing took the crying teen into his arms and hugged him tight.

"You would have left me all alone…"

Wildwing rubbed Nosedive's back soothingly. "You've got the rest of the team, Dive. They're basically family now anyways."

Nosedive sniffed and shook his head angrily again. "No. They're just like all the families we've had before. Once we would get back home, they wouldn't know what to do and would leave again… You're the only _real_ family I've ever known…"

Wildwing was silent, knowing that Nosedive wasn't finished yet.

"You've never left…

"But today you almost did! And it would have been my fault! And I couldn't even be strong enough to hold that rope any longer, and… I almost killed you, bro! And if I almost killed you, then I might as well have almost condemned myself! And now you're going away for a few days, right after I get you back! So it's basically like you're leaving anyways!"

Wildwing held his shaking brother closer as tears poured off the younger's beak. It was a while before he spoke. He lifted Nosedive's head and made him look him in the eyes.

"Nosedive, listen to me," he said, sternly, but gently. Nosedive looked at him with wide, teary eyes. "As long as Dragaunus is here, there's a chance that either one of us won't make it back."

Nosedive's eyes filled with new tears, but he didn't look away. Wildwing continued. "And there's nothing we can about it. But I can promise you, that no matter what happens, I will never leave you. Ever. Got it?"

Nosedive nodded. "Promise?" he whispered.

Wildwing took his finger and wiped the tears from Nosedive's face and eyes. "Promise," he said firmly.

Nosedive searched his eyes for a minute and then wrapped his arms around his brother's neck. Wildwing hugged him back, just as fiercely. After a few minutes, they broke away.

The older mallard looked at his brother. "Maybe I can convince Grin or Tanya to go to the hot dog endorsement…" he said thoughtfully. Nosedive grinned a little.

"Really?"

Wildwing nodded. "Sure. It's just hot dogs."

Nosedive's smile grew wider. "Thanks, big bro," he whispered.

Wildwing gave him a small noogie. "Only for you, baby bro."

Wildwing's com went off. He quickly flipped it open. Duke was on the other end.

"Hey, Wildwing!" he said, looking worried. "You've been gone a long time. Where you able to find Nosedive?"

Wildwing nodded. "Yeah, I found him. He's fine."

Duke visibly relaxed. "Good. We were getting worried."

"It's all good. Guess we just lost track of time."

Nosedive noticed that the sun was gone, stars taking its place instead. The colorful sky had been pushed up and out as darkness took over.

"Since we're already out, how about I pick up a pizza for us?" Wildwing asked Duke.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

"Cool. We'll be back soon. Wildwing out."

Wildwing stood up, reaching down a hand and pulling Nosedive up as well. They walked to the Duckcycle, where Wildwing climbed on and handed Nosedive a helmet. He climbed on and gripped his brothers waist for balance.

"What do you want on your pizza?" Wildwing asked as he started the engine. He kicked the bike into gear and they went flying down the street. Nosedive grinned.

"Whatever you're getting, bro. Whatever you're getting."

**MDMDMDMDMD**

I wasn't sure how to end it... It kinda just happened.

Anyways, review please? I will be a very happy writer if you do... :)


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